Rocket wary of Higgins class

Ronnie O'Sullivan admits he will need to be on his guard against a confident John Higgins as two of the finest players in world snooker prepare to meet in the semi-finals of the UK Championship.

O'Sullivan and Higgins set up a stellar last-four clash by posting crushing victories in their respective quarter-final matches in Telford on Thursday. World number one O'Sullivan wrapped up a 9-3 triumph over Mark Selby while Higgins was at his clinical best as he compiled a one-sided 9-2 win over China's Liang Wenbo.

"Snooker has been blessed with certain players who play the game the way it should be," O'Sullivan told www.worldsnooker.com. "My first choice is Stephen Hendry but he's easier to play against in a way because there isn't a lot of strategy involved, it's long red and game over. John is different, he's more of an all-round match player."

He added: "He's confident at the moment and he's dispatching people."

O'Sullivan was slow out of the blocks in the evening session against Selby, who reduced a 6-2 interval deficit with a break of 136.

Selby spurned an opening in the next when he missed a red that might have got him back in the frame and O'Sullivan punished him with a break of 92 to restore his four-frame lead.

Selby looked in control in the next but made an error after building a comfortable lead, paving the way for the Rocket to move to the brink of victory with another solid break, before a 12th frame littered with mistakes finally went the way of O'Sullivan.

"The scoreline flattered me, Mark had his chances but he didn't take them," 34-year-old O'Sullivan added.

"It's a win I suppose but it's hard to be happy or filled with any joy. I could have been more clinical."